Frequently Asked Questions

The program starts in early May and ends in late April the following year. Please note, the program is full-time, so full-time summer employment is not possible. 

We expect to admit 30–35 students in 2024.

Yes, we accept all gender graduates of any Canadian accredited dietetic education undergraduate program (or American ACEND-accredited equivalent program) within the last 3 years.

Yes, the DDEPT program is OSAP–eligible.

A driver’s license is no longer a requirement to apply to Brescia’s programs.  Applicants must have reliable transportation to get to and from placements even when they are not accessible by public transportation.

You must take the current Casper test identified for Brescia’s 2024 Admissions.

After you register for Casper, you will have access to a full practice Casper test. We highly recommend applicants take the practice test to become familiar with the format of the test, including time limits allowed. Go to: https://acuityinsights.app/test-prep/

Yes, you must apply for an accommodation at least 4 weeks prior to writing the Casper test. Here is a link to the application: Casper Accommodation Application

You can work on the application over time, as long as all components are completed by the deadline.

All application components are required by the deadline EXCEPT proof of completion of your accredited undergraduate degree. The Confirmation of Completion of PDEP-Accredited Academic Program form, signed by your Academic Director with the expected date of completion is an acceptable substitute for proof of degree completion.

You will receive an automated email response once you have submitted your DDEPT online application form, and once you have submitted your supplementary questions as part of the OWL component of the application. After completion of the Casper test, applicants can view the status of their program distributions by logging into their Acuity account. Casper results are delivered to programs 2 weeks after completing the test.
It is up to applicants to ensure they have completed all elements of the application before the deadline.

No, there are no interviews as part of the DDEPT application process.

The admissions committee first reviews each application to ensure it is complete and meets all admissions requirements. Applicants are then assessed based on their academic transcripts, Casper test score, and supplementary question responses. Once all these components are considered, applicants are ranked and offers of admissions are distributed.

Brecia will communicate offers of admission through email, and you will have between 24-48 hours to accept or decline your offer. Please make sure you are monitoring your inbox daily. If you have previously accepted a different offer, you may choose to accept Brescia’s offer, but must contact the other program immediately to withdraw.

When you apply to a practicum-based program, you will get to rank your top 3 placement regions in Ontario.  A placement region will be your home base for the duration of your practicum.
Learn more about placement regions here.

You may contact us at fnsgrad@uwo.ca before January 31^st if you wish to change your preferred placement locations.

Students in this program must have access to reliable transportation to get to placements, including places where public transit may not be available. Students will be expected to manage their own travel arrangements to placement sites, at their own cost once the practicum starts and be able to travel unattended throughout the practicum.

Yes, limitations vary by cohort and other unique placement scheduling factors. For example, students in LHSC and HHS cohorts are scheduled more placement weeks in nutrition care at the hospital compared to students placed in other locations. Therefore, students in these cohorts typically have fewer flex weeks.

No, students do not get paid during practicum–based placements.  There are bursaries and scholarships available from Brescia.  Information about financial support is sent to students after admission to the program or you can email brfinaid@uwo.ca for more information.

An out–of–province placement may be possible but cannot be guaranteed.  Students must discuss interest for an out–of–province placement with their Dietetic Education Coordinator as soon as possible, as these placements need to be planned well in advance.

No, students are not allowed to contact individuals or organizations to request a placement. They may discuss their interests with their Dietetic Education Coordinator who requests all placements on students’ behalf.

There are 2 weeks of vacation: December 23, 2024– January 3, 2025. We added a Fall Reading Week in 2023 in line with Western University’s Academic Calendar and expect to continue with this break in 2024.

Practicum is like a full-time job Monday-Friday and there is little flexibility in the schedule of the DDEPT program. During the first 6 weeks of the program (May 13 – June 14, 2024), the mandatory pre-placement courses are held and are full-time, Monday-Friday. Attendance is mandatory and passing the courses is required to progress into practicum. Accommodation may be possible for brief absences during placement weeks (July-April) for extenuating circumstances, though a formal application is required well in advance and cannot be guaranteed. Absences during the program usually result in additional time added to the end of the program to make up for days missed.

Dietetic Education Coordinators (DEC) meet with students shortly after they are admitted to the program to discuss placement interests and career goals. Every effort is made to accommodate students’ interests, but no placement can be guaranteed.

Students in the DDEPT program begin placements in late June and complete a practice–based project placement for 4 – 8 weeks. MScFN students begin placements in early May and typically complete 8 – 10 research weeks.   All other placement schedule elements are the same.

While individual schedules vary, typically students have 1 food provision, 1 population health promotion, 1 practice–based project and 4 nutrition care placements.

Most placements will be onsite and in–person, but some students may have 1 or 2 virtual placements.

Consistently, 75% of Brescia DDEPT graduates are working as Registered Dietitians within 6 months of graduation.

25–30% of graduates get a job in an organization where they completed a placement.

Dietitians working in a variety of sectors across Ontario submit project proposals to us.  Students are assigned projects based on several factors: geographical location, student interest in the sector/topic, integration with another placement the student will be completing.

Examples of projects that students are completing this year are “development and evaluation of an intuitive eating course” for a family health team, a literature review and survey of long–term care residents to determine, “cultural, ethnic and religious observations that may impact food choice,” and the development and testing of evidence–based content for “My Healthy Gut” app. 
Some students may be assigned to work on research ethics board–approved academic research projects that are a collaboration of our faculty and dietitians in practice.  An example from this year’s class is, “measuring the prevalence of malnutrition risk in oncology patients admitted to a hospital’s cancer care unit by using the Canadian Nutrition Screening Tool.”  The student assigned to this project was involved in data collection onsite at the hospital.

Most practice-based projects DDEPT students complete are in the workplace at a placement organization. Preceptors submit requests for students to complete real projects needed by the organization. Examples include program evaluations, quality improvement projects, environmental scans, and literature reviews.
MScFN students work with a Brescia Faculty Research Supervisor on an academic research project that is extensive, and often published. Students begin working with their Research Supervisor during year 1 of the program and their work in research often continues during the practicum–based year. Examples of student research projects can be found on the MScFN website at: https://brescia.uwo.ca/graduate/mscfn_practicum-based/faculty_research.php